A 49-year-old woman named Ann Marie Davies, who had just returned from a family vacation in Portugal, recently revealed that she was detained at an airport for approximately four hours, citing counter-terrorism legislation as the reason.
Ms. Davies, hailing from Swansea, shared that during her detention, she was questioned about her support for the banned Kurdish political party, the PKK. Her connection to the Kurdish cause dates back to her time teaching English in Turkey three decades ago, and she has since been an advocate for Kurdish rights.
While the Home Office declined to comment on individual cases, they acknowledged that the Terrorism Act of 2000 allows for such detentions.
Ms. Davies recounted the unsettling experience that began when her passport failed to digitally swipe at Bristol Airport on July 25th. She was approached by four individuals in formal attire who then separated her from her 14-year-old daughter and partner for questioning. During the process, her DNA was collected, and copies of her fingerprints were taken. Ms. Davies, who had helped organize a Kurdish cultural event in Cardiff in 2022, expressed her uncertainty regarding the reasons for her interrogation.
In her own words, she described her apprehension about the situation: “The terrorism laws mean you aren’t cautioned. I wasn’t sure if it [the interview] was recorded.” She suspects that the focus on her Kurdish connection stemmed from her phone, where authorities discovered a video of a joyful cultural evening featuring poetry and dancing. This event was a vital aspect of the Kurdish community, emphasizing the importance of family gatherings, and was attended by both her family and friends. Ms. Davies found it perplexing that such a harmless video of a cultural event had raised concerns.